Metal curtain



C. S. WHITE METAL CURTAIN March 13, 1951 Filed July 26, 1947 INVENTOR. (27d/f9.5 5 ,f4/2.952779.

Patented Mar. 13, r1951 Maren annum CharleszS; Wiite,Dearborn-,g Michi, assigner; .bye v meme-assignments; of one-halt@ .Au mwilscm amd; ancella/ifi` toy Harry J1.; Heidem. vbatir-ot tnoitg, Mich.

Application July 26', 1941,*SerialiN0; 763,794

(Cl. 1:6,Qw-1339V iris:j'eurtainorgawningefforar-,windovvor as aldrcav eeurtain orI awning. for .af-.windows porch,v orthe like; to prov-ideeafmetal curtain erawningr ofathe aforementioned type whichmayrbe inexpensively finished in,v any,A desired manner-:or colori so, as to.l lie-attractive appearance and fit. intaany desired colorscheme; to; provide a metal curtain or awning, of theV aforementioned .type which, willnot kink orlose its shape, and which is yprovided with improved means for retaining thelike sheet metal elements;in.av substantially flat .plane when the. awning or curtainis in an .extended position, and for permitting the elements .tobe compactly rolled upon arelatively smallrol'ler into a storage. container ,01?. casing, withoutV distorting; orv injuring the elements;

Theseand" other-'objects of this invention will become apparentfrom the'following detaileddescription taken in conjunctionl with the accompanying-drawing which Figure 1 is a; perspective view of the curtain of this invention extended over a Window;

Fig. 2 is arreniarged transversersectional view of. the curtain, of this inventionin a rolled. up position; "and Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a-:porti'oir-ofthe` structure illustrated in Fig. .1. .s

Referring; now to the drawing* itfwillibevseen that. thez metal curtainl generally-:indicatedrat 5,

comprises apluralityv` of lorlell'lidnally extendinglike sheet metal elernents. 'l which are hingedly interconnected, aswillbe hereinafter described, to form-the completed curtain.. The curtainelements? maybe made oiiahimnum andinainted,

relationrwithi respectzto;,tlie=latte in anyl Ydesired manner to confermi:v to Vthe color.

scherneor typeof: finish thallia einser desires.,

The yinterconnecting::hinge arrangement orthe eiements'l permits the; curtain tov beffwcund .into a cylindrical shape -ona roller 8, which is: illuse trateciinFig; l asrmountedon bracketsztl which iirfturn.. are :securedon the Walt or .the building over a, window I I--ZILV Wherrrthe curtairn illustrated inzlig. i is unwoundand extendedgit; isgsupported on a conventional awning-,or cutairrisuppoltr l2 Whichriss'ecuredftotheiwal ofi the building-5,. p Hawerenzit to. bewunderstood thea-metal. cur;- tain may bei;usedrasansamiiuegor aifeurtairrfor. anyJ peofwndowf and; disposed in ansi; angular usadas adroptoheernployedmcon nctioniwith; for: ezraxrrpler` aporchi Screener a, suitable window structure.,y

Willi: 1 the size; ofi the roller- 9 and` the dimensions;:ofthezelements: 't Ina-plie iii-any predetere mined: relationship;i for purposes of"illustration` the. curtain hereinshown Vis kadaptedtribe Wound on;v a Vrroller'- 9 of lav Y2f' diameter,- Vand the dimensions rreferred to,-forf the elements L areronly toy f bei. construed asspreferredy dimensions'fcr the ele:-

ment'sin order to. rollathemy around the 24 roller.-

Thef centerrporticn |5 of,l` eachelementa'l is; arcuatefirr' transverse` section and struck onz-aylarge radius havingcitsfrpoint of' center Iv'l'on-oneside of the verticalncenter line thereof.,` The arcuate shape of each element-T provides. strength-along theflengitudinal. dimension thereot lagainst;bending: so that the,t elements: wil-linut kinkcor. lose their shapeover long periodsy oiuse.; Onerend-oi eaclro theelements'l is arched downwardly atv ilat to form a web 23 which extends downwardly from the arched end portion I9 on aniang'le. of substantie-11u45? with respect tauthehorizontal. lower--endof thefweb. porticn'zigis; :reversely ceiledl-,atafinto afpartialcylinderzto prov-idee female. lnnge; portion along;:oneztransverse edge oifeachelement .'l'. e

The; cnpsite end oreachelementzz'lf is; curved downwardly at 2l: andextended at tcriorm aweb 29 which extends parallel to the web 23 on the opposite endV of each element. The lower end of the web 29 is reversely coiled at 3l into a partialA Y cylinder, of smaller diameter than the opposite element 1 which is in horizontal alignment with the cylindrical female hinge portion 25.

As the elements l are identical in construction they may be assembled by telescoping the male hinge portion 3l of each element into the female hinge portion 25 of the'adjacent element, so that a plurality of the longitudinally extending elements from the curtain 5. It will be noted that when the elements are hingedly interconnected the upper surface of the arched end portion I9 of each element 'I is higher in elevation than the opposite curved end portion 2l so that the top surfaces of the elements lie'in a substantially flat plane, and therefore provide a curtain which is more attractive in appearance and eic'ient in operation. When the curtain is in its extended position, so as to lie on the curtain support I2, the web 29, adjacent the male hinge portion 3l of each element, abuts the parallel web portion 23adjacent the interconnected female hinge portion 25 of each element, so that the elements will be positively retained in a substantially flat plane. I In this way relative upward movement between the elements is prevented by the abutting webs, and relative downward movement is prevented bythe curtain support l2. While the abutting webs of each element act *as stopswhen the curtain is extended, the elements 'i' can be rolled into a cylindrical shape about the roller 9, as indicated in Fig. 2. y

- As best seen in Fig. 2 the innermost element 1, adjacent the roller 9, has its female hinge portion 25cut off, so that the arcuate center portion l5 thereof is secured tov the roller 9 by means of a rivet 33. The male hinge portion 3i is then telescoped into the female hinge portion 25 on the adjacent element 'I and theremainder of the elements are interconnected' as described above.

When the roller 9' is'rotated the interengaging male and female hinge portions of the elements will pivot with respect `to each other to permit 90 hinged movement of the elements so that they may be wound around the'roller 9 without any deformation or damage thereto. The pivotal movementibetween the elements is limited to 90 asthe end ofthe coil of one element will abut against the web portion ofits vadiacent element. The elements, due to the correlation between their dimension and the dimension of the roller, will thus wind Varound the roller and each other without causing any deformation thereof.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing v feet of curtain may be rolled into a 6%" cylinder about the roller '9 and can therefore if desired be disposed within a 7" or 8 container 35, shown in'dot and dash in Fig. 2. The curtain thus may be substituted for a canvas awning or may be employed as a drop for a porch or a Window, and due toits metal construction will outlast canvas or any other type of fabric, many times over.

. I claimt' v 1. In a curtain, a plurality of longitudinally extending elements in hinged 'relation to each other, the body of each of said elements having its transverse section formed on an arc of large radius, one edge of said element beingstruck! on an arc of smaller radius and then extended at an angle to the transverse section to form a at web and then coiled into a partial cylinder, the oppositeV edge of said element being curved downwardly and extended at the same angle from the transverse plane of the element to form a web at the opposite end thereof and then coiled into a cylinder of smaller diameter such that it may be telescoped into said rstcylinder so as to have thevelements capable of being assembled by the interengagement of said telescoping cylinders and prevented from moving beyond the plane of the top surfaces of the adjacent elements by the engagement of said webs.

2. A longitudinally extending element, a plurality of which form`a curtain, having an arcuate transverse section struck on a large radius having its point of center on one side ofthe center line of the element to provide strength along the longitudinal dimension thereof against bending, one edge of said element being arched downwardly on a shorter radius also spaced from the center line of the element and then extended flat to form a web and reversely coiled into a female hinge portion, the opposite edge of said element being curved downwardly and extended at to form a web and reversely coiled into a male hinge portion capable of telescoping into the female hinge portion of a lightelement, whereby a plurality of said elements may be secured together and wound on a roller Without distortion.

3. In a curtain, a plurality of longitudinally extending elements, each of said elements having anarcuate transverse 'section struck on a large radiushaving its point 'of center on one side of the center lineof `the element toprovide strength along theflongitudinal dimensioning against bending, one edge of saidelement being curved' downwardly and extended fiat to form a web and reversely coiled into a' male hinge portion, the opposite edge ofv said element being arched downwardly on a shorter radius than the arcuate transverse section and having its point of center on one side of the center line of the element and 'then extended flat to form a web and reversely coiled into a female hinge portion, the upper surfaces of the said archedend being higher in'elevatien than the opposite curved edge portion'so that when the male hinge portions are telescopedv v into the adjacent female hinge portions the ele-.

ments will be disposed in a substantially flat plane, said hinged portions and webs being arranged and spaced so vas to permit said hinges to pivot andperrnit said plurality of elements to be wound on a roller without distortion. Y

CHARLES s. WHITE.

y REFERENCES CITED The following Yreferences are of record in the le of this patent: v UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain July 1l, 1910 

